Faith, Labor, and a DOJ Reversal: Inside the BAPS Temple Case

When the DOJ drops a high-profile case, what truths—and tensions—remain? A clash of cultures, a legal saga, and a spiritual community under scrutiny. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with RNS reporter Richa Karmarkar about the Department of Justice’s decision to drop its investigation into the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey—the largest Hindu temple in the Western Hemisphere. Together, they trace how forced-labor allegations emerged, what “seva” (selfless service) means inside this tradition, and why cultural assumptions about work, visas, and volunteering can misfire in the U.S. context. Along the way, they explore community pride, rising vandalism of Hindu temples, and the complicated intra-Indian debates that shadow the story. It’s an invitation to slow down, listen across differences, and see faith—and labor—more clearly.